Disappointed secondary schools are reopening

[wovengrass]

I'm hoping for a sensible exchange of ideas on this.
I understand the importance of children missing out on learning, but I can't help but feel that a full reopening of all secondary schools in the UK at the same time is madness.
I strongly feel that it would have been better to spend time/money on making home learning a realistic and standardised solution, as well as putting plans in place for the children that need further support. That way if any future outbreaks happen we aren't just hoping for the best and blindly following this idea that "schools must be the last place to close no matter what."

I also can't get my head around the logistics, locally. The local secondary that my nephew attends (there are several large ones near to me) has over 1000 students, many rely on public transport to get there. With reduced space on transport due to social distancing, I wonder how children will actually all make it to school on time? Many schools are also not allowing children who are late to enter, to avoid the crossing of year group bubbles.

Throw also into the mix that many adult will be relying on the same transport to return to work. I'm genuinely wondering how on earth it is realistic?

I think primary and nursery schools are a different thing entirely, and obviously childcare is a factor then also. But putting 1000 teenagers/young adults + teacher staff into a building with no masks and no country-wide home learning plan if things go wrong, seems absolutely nuts to me.

Just wondering what others think about this?

[wovengrass]

@itsgettingweird Some great suggestions there. Something is certainly better than nothing and I think many people don't realise that the risk of school closure is very real. As well as bubbles being sent home to isolate, and there being no way for them to learn from home during this isolation period.

[FilthyforFirth]

Everyone who doesnt want schools to open, when is acceptable to you for them fo re-open full time? Is it once a vaccine is in enough production to give to the whole population?

My question is, what if we dont find a vaccine? Are you seriously suggesting schools never open as it is an ongoing pandemic?

I genuinely dont understand how society is supposed to stand still for potentially years on end.

[WouldBeGood]

The alternative is that schools go back.

Children need to be cared for.

[ineedaholidaynow]

@DumplingsAndStew schools don't have funding for a back up plan. So they could say they are going to provide live online lessons, but who is going to provide the laptops for the teachers and the pupils who don't have them?

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

@Dollyparton3 I have 3 DC at different ages and stages and different schools, 2 were going to be in school the start of the week and the eldest (11) was going to be at secondary the end of the week so I would have needed childcare every day of the week of give up work, that’s the reality. I’m so relieved mine are back now but our primary is a small rural one so hopefully all will be well, just need to wait and see re eldest and her secondary though

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

@ineedaholidaynow not to mention that not everyone lives in a city with reliable internet connection, especially in Scotland!

[millymollymoomoo]

You are most definitely being unreasonable
Hope that helps once and for all

[TableFlowerss]

I’m very happy they are going back.

Home school your DC then if you’re that concerned. Stay at home and only leave the house when necessary.

[dairyfairies]

I bloody hope they go back full time. DD has complex SN - it was nearly impossible to homeschool as she cannot learn I dependently and I couldn't reach as I was WFH. plus DD doesn't have her own laptop. Throw in that the school closure meant we lost also OT and SALT and not just her education, the last few months have been sheer hell.

homeschooling is all very well if you have a large enough house, a garden and a laptop/computer for each child and noone has SN or other MH issue. Unfortunately this is not that case for a very large number of families. For many, the downsides if not accessing school are far greater than the threat of Covid. I think yabvu

[Useruseruserusee]

I want schools to go back, I’m a primary teacher with primary aged children so I have no vested interest in secondaries.

But I worry secondaries will be more likely to close as over 10s are more likely to spread it. And it is more likely to be schools in disadvantaged areas with overcrowded housing, multigenerational living and larger BAME populations that will close first - going on the pattern of local lockdowns so far. The disadvantage gap will just widen.

Some schools may not need a plan B and that’s great, but I imagine most inner city schools will.

[BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze]

The alternative is that schools go back.



Schools are going back. We’re talking about if they have to close again. Or are you seriously saying if things got really bad, schools should stay open regardless? I don’t really know how to respond to that.

[IdblowJonSnow]

Parents need to work and kids need to get their lives back.
I agree it's a worry but can't see a better option.
If the rate really ramps up then I imagine they will close again or have longer holidays or split classes and do 50/50 again.
I think if kids have health issues then they should be supported to stay off - not sure what the guidelines will be surrounding that.

[Dragongirl10]

I agree with WOVENGRASS, it is ludicrous that there are no other options except full time back at school and hope for the best....
The Government did this in Feb, looked briefly at Italy and thought it couldn't possibly happen to us, so effectively sat in front of the tsunami waiting to watch who drowned....

Of course we all desperately want our Dcs back at full time school but surely not at any cost, secondary school pupils spread Covid like adults. There cannot possibly be effective distancing at schools.

This time since March should have been used to create the best online platforms possible and the vulnerable children should have been made a special priority group.......surely between experienced teachers heads, and a decent Gov department we should have been able to put some effective learning in place and then schools to be attended by very small groups on different days......

I so hope l am over worrying, but cannot see how this virus won't tear through schools like wildfire..

[WouldBeGood]

@FilthyforFirth

Everyone who doesnt want schools to open, when is acceptable to you for them fo re-open full time? Is it once a vaccine is in enough production to give to the whole population?

My question is, what if we dont find a vaccine? Are you seriously suggesting schools never open as it is an ongoing pandemic?

I genuinely dont understand how society is supposed to stand still for potentially years on end.

This

[Charliescar]

Seriously ?? Besides the education side of things - teenagers need their friends so much more than younger children. . Can’t you remember. It’s awful that these poor young teenagers have been subjected to this .

Younger children are happier being around parents

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Of course we all desperately want our Dcs back at full time school but surely not at any cost yes at any cost tbh- close everything else, ban all other mixing but put schools back!

[stopgap]

Do school districts in the UK self-govern by district or or is it central controlled? I’m English, but have lived in the US for twenty years.

Our board of ed has had to come up with three plans, submit them to the state, and then each district ultimately gets to decide what they are doing for the fall. Given that here in Connecticut we have benefitted from seeing the mistakes made in other states, a hybrid model seems to be the most realistic right now. The state is making sure that all children have access to laptops and optimal WiFi connections. The former head of the CDC lives locally, and even he has said no way will schools be in person for longer than a couple of months, and that’s with everyone in masks, sanitizing stations everywhere, classrooms at half capacity etc.

[TableFlowerss]

@FilthyforFirth

Everyone who doesnt want schools to open, when is acceptable to you for them fo re-open full time? Is it once a vaccine is in enough production to give to the whole population?

My question is, what if we dont find a vaccine? Are you seriously suggesting schools never open as it is an ongoing pandemic?

I genuinely dont understand how society is supposed to stand still for potentially years on end.

I know! What do they think is the best option then?

Tell you what, why don’t we just abolish schools altogether?

Because we can’t be sure there will ever be a vaccine. We can only hope. As this pp stated, it could go on for years....

The mind boggles. We just have to learn to live with it nothing more that can be done.

[MrsJBaptiste]

Are you having a laugh?

Home learning is nothing like learning within a school. My kids have enjoyed lessons via their laptops but my God, they need to get back to school and the normality of it all.

I can only presume thst people who say things like the OP, do not have secondary aged kids. I meanreally, why not keep those in Primary off for longer? The younger ones don't really know any different do they?

FFS 😒

[stopgap]

^^Apologies for the grammatical typos.

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

@MrsJBaptiste or don’t work? I honestly don’t know how those saying schools shouldn’t be back can possibly work and not be worried about keeping their jobs??

[christinarossetti19]

It's a logistical nightmare for secondary schools in particular, but I do think it's right that they plan to return for the autumn term.

As others have said, the lack of a Plan B at a national level is a concern but frankly not a surprise given the general incompetence and dishonesty of the current govt.

The best scenario would have been investing in schools so they could set up blended learning timetables and resources that they can switch to immediately should there be a localised lock down, and ensuring that all children have access to high speed Broadband and tech.

There was much mockery of Corbyn's proposed policy of a free, high speed nationalised broadband in December, but just three months later, it wasn't looking like such a daft idea.

Of course this hasn't happened and won't so the next best thing is to get schools back with steps taken to minimise risks as much as possible and act promptly and locally to any outbreaks.

[IncrediblySadToo]

@Thefab3

How many children at school do you have op ?

You know the answer to that, so why ask? Just to be snarky - grow up.

People are allowed to have worries about children - not just the ones they give birth to
(or adopt)

[Useruseruserusee]

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Of course we all desperately want our Dcs back at full time school but surely not at any cost yes at any cost tbh- close everything else, ban all other mixing but put schools back!

What if the cost of that is the economy tanking even more and more unemployment?

[frasersmummy]

@ineeedaholidaynow

There is one school closed in Aberdeen because a staff member was tested positive but the school hadnt re-opened yet and as there is an ongoing cluster in aberdeen (which is in lockdown) its not opening this week

the other school that has been talked about is a glasgow school where 8 kids are positive but again this was before the school opened